Steelmakers in Bengal flouting environmental norms: CSE

New Delhi-based research body Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) studied 21 large steelmakers, 16 of which are from the eastern part of the country, to find out how green and clean the sector is.

"West Bengal accounts for three of these, and all three have fared miserably in the rating," said Chandra Bhushan, CSE's deputy director general and the head of the project.

The report was released here today by state Environment Minister Sudarshan Ghosh Dastidar.

Steel sector was found to be using up enormous quantities of resources (land, water, energy and raw materials), polluting blatantly, and getting away with all this because of the sheer apathy of the region's regulatory bodies, the report alleged.

Stating that most of the plants non-compliant with pollution norms, the report said those at the receiving end of all this are the ecology and the local people.

With respect to the state pollution control board, West Bengal seems to be in a slightly better position than the other states of the easter region, according to the report.

CSE surveyors found that the board was good at monitoring and paper work, but "poor on enforcement and bringing about real change on the ground". (MORE)